Q&A
by Gimpyslair
Summary: Amy gets an opportunity that she can't turn down, Sheldon is uncomfortable about it. One-shot


**Q&A**

**Summary :** Amy gets an opportunity that she can't turn down, Sheldon is uncomfortable about it.

**Disclaimer:** I own none of these characters and I make no profit from this little story.

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"Is this how we are going to say goodbye, with you pouting over my decision?"

Sheldon didn't answer. Trying to avoid eye contact, he looked around, seeing lines of travelers with suitcases and passport in their hand, a sight that made Sheldon's stomach flip a bit. He certainly hadn't been enthusiastic when his girlfriend gave him the news, so why should he pretend to be happy right now? Things were going just fine between them; he even started to like the adjustments they made in his daily schedule so they could enjoy each other's company from time to time. Considering how long it took him to get used to a modification in his routine, it was more than disappointing that everything was going to change.

"You can't say that in my place you, more than anyone, would have turned down an opportunity that could have the highest impact on your researches and your whole career. I'm going to work in collaboration with one of the best neurobiologist of Asia!"

"Never I would have accepted to exiled myself in a small unhygienic lab in the middle of the jungle where I could caught diseases by insects stings or-"

"That's not why you're disapproving my decision." Sheldon closed his mouth. It was insufferable how she could make him shut up so easily, especially when he knew she was right. It was just a proof of how much power she held on him, consciously or not.

One careful look at her and he knew his girlfriend was upset. He was getting a bit better in deciphering her basic emotions. Amy once convinced him that identifying some emotions by looking at facial expressions would help him improving his relationship with her and clearing misunderstandings, which would supposedly be timesaving. To help him, she invented a game where he had to guess one's emotion by looking at various photos. Spending that much hours looking at faces was a real pain in the ass, but it has at least shown some results. Amy definitely was the only person in the world who could make him participate in such foolish games.

Amy glanced quickly from her watch to the growing airport check-in line. She started to play nervously with her address tag on her baggage. "I really should get in line before it gets too crowded…"

Sheldon nodded, then followed her without hesitation. They stayed in a semi-comfortable silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Amy's plane was leaving in less than two hours and that thought made him uneasy. He talked to her every day, he came to rely on her when he was seeking for advice and he was even starting to tolerate a more physical proximity. Not having her around would be… different.

A group of noisy adults put him out of his precious thoughts. He looked behind him and saw the pitiful sight of a man undoing his backpack to search for his lost passport. The scene made Sheldon roll his eyes at the stupidity of the young traveler. Still, looking at them unpacking his luggage started to make him feel on edge. "Do you have a spare of your underwear, toothbrush and feminine hygiene in your hand luggage?" Sheldon suddenly asked. "Airlines are never entirely reliable and you never know if-"

"It's not the first time I'm taking a plane."

"How about your medications, your insurance numbers, the coordinates of the USA's embassy in China-"

Amy sighed loudly in exasperation while massaging her forehead from the headache that was coming. "Sheldon, we are not getting over this again: we reviewed my checklist last weekend, yesterday, this morning and in the taxi. Everything is here. Besides, I'm the one who's leaving, I will take full responsibility if I forget one single thing, which I did not."

Finally, the agent on the check-in counter asked for Amy to come. After she answered a few formality questions and handed over her baggage, she received her boarding pass. The couple moved away from the counters and tried to found a more private place. The crowd was getting bigger and both Amy and Sheldon started to suffocate under the heavy atmosphere. When they could find a more peaceful place, Amy sipped some water from her bottle. She politely offered some to her boyfriend, knowing very well that he would refuse sharing a used bottle. Just as she predicted, he shook his head.

Amy took a big breath: if she wanted to part ways with Sheldon on a more positive note, now was the time to talk to him. "There's something about this conflict that I don't understand."

Sheldon apprehensively looked up at her. "As you say, we have a relationship of the mind. And as much as it annoys me, the physical part of our relationship is nearly non-existent, by your request. I will be provided of a Wi-Fi access most of the time so we can Skype each other as much time as we want and I will be back in less than three months. Considering these facts, I have one question for you: why does it bother you that I accepted this partnership between our university and the one in Beijing?"

Surprised by her question, Sheldon frowned as he crossed his arms. "Isn't the answer obvious?"

A silence passes between them. Both of them waited for the other to add more insight to the comment, but nothing came. Seeing that he wouldn't provide an answer and that she wasn't up for the guessing game, Amy decided to drop the subject. He could be really annoying when he wanted to. Some days she thought that she should just give up trying to understand his complex mind. Yet, it still made her heart ache a little when she concluded that they would separate on such poor terms, resulting in leaving them both frustrated.

"I should probably go, I need to use the restroom before boarding the plane, find the gate…" She paused, thinking about how to conclude this conversation and proceed with the farewells. "Thank you for accompanying me all the way to the airport. That was a nice boyfriend-gesture." She added with a half smile.

Slightly surprised with the change of tone, Sheldon looked down at her. "I guess we will see each other in September…"

"You guessed right."

Their eyes met for a moment. Suddenly realising that he would not see her for the next three months, Sheldon felt his heartbeats increase significantly. As she made a movement to take her cabin baggage, he quickly caught her arm with his right hand

"Amy Farrah Fowler, wait."

She stopped and shivered slightly from the surprise of his touch on her skin.

Not sure what to do next, Sheldon decided to let his body do the talk, for what might be the first time in a very long time. He slowly approached Amy, not breaking the eye contact. He opened tentatively his arms and awkwardly put them around his girlfriend's body, bringing her closer to him. He didn't know where he was supposed to put his hands, but Amy didn't seem to mind as he felt her relaxed under him and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You better call me when you arrived at destination." He grumbled in her hair.

"It will probably be during an inappropriate hour, outside our regular schedule…" Amy smirked in his shoulder.

"I don't care, you brain-monkey."

He rolled his eyes and sighed from annoyance. Sometimes she was so bothersome. His girlfriend often accused him of not understanding emotions, human interactions or other social protocols that he cares little about. She might be a doctor specialized in neurobiology and her intellectual level might be appreciably high, yet Amy Farrah Fowler couldn't figure out the answer of her own question.

Obviously, he was going to miss her a lot.

**The End**

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**A/N: **I hope you enjoyed it. It's been such a long time since I've written anything. Tell me what you think about it.

**Beta reader:** WeBuiltThePyramids (thanks!)


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